Rafa Benitez is “spinning plates” as Newcastle United head into the final week of the transfer window belatedly looking to do some significant business.

United will wrap up a loan deal for Chelsea’s Kenedy today, realising Benitez’s long-standing interest in the versatile Brazilian – who will give him the tactical flexibility he has been missing for the first half of the season.

But they will need to do much, much more to satisfy Benitez’s belief that the side needs Premier League-ready reinforcements to enable him to pull away from the congested relegation fight.

Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Benitez wants three more players on top of Kenedy, with a striker the priority for the club in the final eight days of the window. Talk of United trying to broker an eight-figure deal – with the player valued at £20million, which would be a club record deal – has caused intrigue and cynicism in equal measure on Tyneside, but there’s no doubt that Benitez is working hard to try and rescue a transfer window that was heading towards frustration.

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The player is not 30-year-old Kevin Gameiro, linked this morning, and Newcastle are not looking at Moussa Dembele of Celtic either. With the club still required to box clever and resources still relatively limited, they are eager to keep the player’s identity under wraps for fear of being drawn into a bidding war.

The positive is that Benitez and Mike Ashley have opened up lines of communication again: previously the Spaniard was working with Lee Charnley, Steve Nickson and Justin Barnes on deals. But Ashley – perhaps stung by the risk of losing Premier League status and the guaranteed revenue or even his well-thought-of manager – has sanctioned further buying.

Mike Ashley (Image: PA)

That will be a relief to Benitez, who had laid detailed foundations for this window and had enquired about countless players in the run-up to January. He had ascertained the availability of players on loan and prices of a detailed list of targets – and now may be able to make progress on some of his priority targets.

And Benitez will stay alive to the possibility of further deals with interest in players he has made available like Aleksandar Mitrovic. Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is also wanted by West Ham but Benitez would not do a deal with a relegation rival and the Spaniard would only countenance selling them if there were players lined up to sign in their place – but if he manages to land significant reinforcements that paves the way for more deals.

Mitrovic, in particular, is ready to leave on loan although Newcastle would rather not sanction a deal to a Premier League rival. A loan with a permanent deal built in may work if United could negotiate a similar deal for a replacement.

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Newcastle United in the January transfer window

Although Newcastle’s need for additions is pressing – they fielded a team that had played in the Championship in the previous campaign against Swansea – they are by no means alone in not having done significant business. Agents and clubs anticipate a busy final few days and with ten teams separated by just six points, there could be plenty of decisive movement before next Wednesday’s January 31 deadline.

Benitez knows there is plenty riding on it and it appears that Ashley has recognised that fact too. Now it is down to the club’s board to successfully broker the significant deals that need to be done.